Heart of the Beast

 
A Brief History of the Development of the  Chrysler Wedge Engine

 

 

The "B" series wedge engine was introduced in 1958 in  350  and 361 cubic inch versions, followed in 1959  by the "B" block 383 and the "RB" (raised block) 413. It took several years and much experimentation for the new engine to establish a reputation, having replaced a successful series of hemi engines. The early B engines had five main bearings, and used hydraulic lifters.

The first B engine was the 350, introduced (and also ended) in 1958. It had a forged steel crank and connecting rods, and a hydraulic cam. The Plymouth version, the Golden Commando, had 305 hp; the DeSoto version, Turboflash, produced up to 295 hp; and the Dodge version,  the D500, had as much as  320 hp. In the same year, the 361 was introduced. It had  a bigger bore than the 350 but was  otherwise similar. Both the 350 and 361 had fuel injected versions in 1958 only. They fared about as well as the 300D engine, and all were refitted with carburetors.

The B engine went from a 10:1 compression ratio in 1960 to a 9:1 compression ratio in 1961 without losing performance  because the compression change was accompanied by enlarged intake valves; the benefit was being able to use regular gas instead of premium.

Carburetion in 1961 was supplied by a two barrel Stromberg model WWC carburetor model number 3-188. This carburetor had a rubber-tipped needle valve in the float bowl, making the unit less sensitive to flooding by enveloping small dirt particles and still maintaining a good seal; it also had a two-stage set-up jet for better fuel flow at cruising speeds.

1961 was also the first year for the closed crankcase ventilation system used on all cars sold in California. A flexible tube connected a valve to a specially calibrated carburetor; the carburetor had a fitting just below the throttle blades into which the crankcase vapors were drawn by suction. From here they were drawn into the intake manifold for burning, leaving fewer vapors to be discharged unburned into the atmosphere. 

The performance story of the 'B' engine really begins with the introduction of the long ram, 2 x 4 barrel  413 in 1960,  introduced on the 1960 Chrysler 300F. At the same time, the D500 Dodges had a  330 hp cross ram injection manifold with dual 4 barrel Carter carburetors. This engine was  a factory option as well as a dealer option for all models. The 330 hp rating is actually a low figure; dynamometer tests of the era indicated closer to 360 hp. The cross ram setup was more often seen on the Polara's 383, although the Phoenix 361 also had a cross ram option. 

In 1962, the high-performance 413 "Max Wedge" was introduced. It came with two 4 barrel carburetors, and featured a different ram manifold setup with staggered carburetor positioning. This was not the plumber's nightmare available on the 300 series cars.  The 420 hp output of the Max Wedge was the highest at that time for any Chrysler engine. It was called "Ramcharger" in Dodges, and "Super Stock" in Plymouths. In late 1963 the 413 Max Wedge was replaced by a 426 cubic inch model. Both 413 and 426 were available with either the high-performance 300J heads or the less desirable 516 heads. I seem to remember a single carburetor version being available for Nascar, whereas the higher compression dual quad engine was strictly for drag racing and generally torturing Chevy owners who thought the 409 was the best thing going.

The 426 Max Wedge was continued in  1964  in the Stage II and Stage III versions. These Max Wedge engines were unique with special blocks, rods, crankshafts, pistons, heads, valves, valve gear, intake manifolds, carburetors and exhaust manifolds. They often came in special lightweight stripped down 2 door sedans with aluminum front end clips, bumpers, and plexiglas windows. Intact, original uncut versions command very high prices from collectors.

The 440 was introduced in 1966, the same year the 426 wedge engine was replaced by the  426 Hemi. The 440 would return in 1967 as a 375 hp version called the 440 Magnum. I seem to  recall the 440 being offered in late year Chargers, as well as being used in Imperials and other Chryslers. The Magnum stomped the Street Hemi in the 1/4 mile due to the Hemi's rather mild state of tune. My friend had a 1966 Satellite with the Hemi, Torqueflite, and 3.23 gears. It struggled mightily to break into the 14 second range in street trim......I never thought it was worth the extra $1100 for such a lackluster performer. More on this car in the street hemi section.

The 440 Magnum was available for real in the new highly promoted 1967 Plymouth GTX and Dodge R/T models. In 1968 the 383 Road Runner and Super Bee models were introduced, starting the biggest performance surge since the early 1960s. In 1969, the first 440-6 barrel (commonly called the six pack) engine package was produced with special rods, crankshaft, timing chain, camshaft, valve springs and intake system. This package was continued in 1970 and 1971. It also had higher compression at 10.75:1.

In 1971, the 440-6 pack and the Hemi were the last true high performance engines Chrysler produced. One of the greatest moments in the 'B' engine's history was its return to Grand National racing. On July 4, 1971, four cars with 426 cubic inch versions of the 440 with ported 440 heads were entered in the Daytona Grand National race, and they finished 1-2-3-4. Performance and reliability have always been trademarks of the 'B' engine family.

The 400 engine was introduced in 1972 in standard and high performance versions. The 400 is a bored out  383. With gas shortages, high insurance, and smog controls choking the life out of the muscle car market, the performance aspects of the 'B' and 'RB' engines began to fade in 1972. Performance continued to dwindle until the last 'B-RB' engine was produced in August 1978, ending the history of Chrysler Corporation's big-block engines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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